Welcome back for an all new edition of Parlay Points, The #ODPHpod podcast complimentary blog. For this edition, we’re talking the highly anticipated return of one of Valiant Comics”s most popular heroes: X-O Manowar! Ever since his debut in 1992, Aric of Dacia has been a franchise player in the Valiant Universe. Issue #5 of the current series written by Dennis Hopeless and art by Emilio Laiso, Raffaele Forte, & Ruth Redmond is about to hit your local comic shops. Let’s see what’s going on with Aric’s latest adventure: “Upgrade The World pt. 1”
X-O MANOWAR #5 (Jumping on point!)
Written by DENNIS HOPELESS
Art by EMILIO LAISO
Inks by RAFFAELE FORTE
Colors by RUTH REDMOND
Letters by HASSAN OTSMANE-ELHAOU
Cover A by RAHZZAH
Cover B & 1:25 Cover by MICHAEL CHO
Pre-order Cover by CHRISTIAN WARD
On sale AUGUST 18th | 32 pages, full color | $3.99 US | T+
Credit: Valiant Entertainment/DMG entertainment
Note: we teeter around ***SPOILER TALK*** so this next block so giving fair warning now
First thing off the bat, we get a recap/intro page. I’m a HUGE fan of this in comics & always enjoy how Valiant makes their issues so easy for readers to jump on board. It works very well with Shanhara (the alien armor) being the narrator for this page. As we are caught up to speed, Aric’s battle with a nanite beast is starting to take it’s told….and that’s where we jump in!
Without giving anything away, Aric & Troy Whittaker (Aric’s “manager”) come up with some clever ideas on how to deal with the threat. However , it doesn’t come without a cost as Shanhara is injured. The ramifications are felt through the rest of the issue as a breakthrough on what is causing attacks is made clear. There’s also a great story told with Shanhara that should be a driving point of this next arc.
Credit: Valiant Entertainment/DMG entertainment
There is a lot to enjoy with this issue. Hopeless guides the story & immediately establishes the threat at hand. The banter between Aric and Troy adds another element to the story. Even with the gravity of the situation at hand, Troy’s attempt to be heroic plays well in the story. Even the brief interlude of how Troy deciphers what’s going on adds another layer to his character. Readers can also detect the deep connection between Aric & Shanhara, esp. post battle with the beast.
With the great writing, it was matched by some AMAZING artwork! Laiso & the team did an incredible job. The action was BIG! There was no question of how serious the threat was & how high the stakes were. Take a look at the pages in this review! Strong work throughout the book. Even the quieter scenes with Aric’s reaction to Shanhara’s status told a story onto itself due to the art. Perfect combination!
Credit: Valiant Entertainment/DMG entertainment
Credit: Valiant Entertainment/DMG entertainment
Credit: Valiant Entertainment/DMG entertainment
Overall, Aric & Shanhara returns to the comic shelves with no sign of a letdown. X-O Manowar #5 is a great place for new readers to join in the story. It’s got big action & a very well written story foundation. I’m very intrigued to see where this creative team is taking our heroes in this upcoming arc. Make sure to check this book out when you hit the shops on Wednesday! X-O Manowar #5 hits shelves August 18th
Let me know what you think of X-O Manowar #5 on Twitter. As always, thanks for reading!